The 2015 Lexus NX, the new entry level sport utility vehicle from the upscale division of Toyota, will debut in the United States in December in two versions.

The NX stands for “Nimble Crossover.” It fits. The NX 200t has a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. The NX 300h hybrid will features a new transmission that splits the hybrid battery into two pods for better weight distribution. The result: a more efficient use of cabin space.

Built on a Toyota RAV4 platform, the Lexus NX more resembles a sports car more than an SUV and both models of all-weather drive (AWD). Despite the similarity to its sibling, platform, the new NX lineup will be 90 percent new.
The new factor is what Lexus stressed during recent regional press review in Seattle, Washington.
There’s a lot of new. Some of it is striking like a futuristic-looking grille. Some of new look is innovative like the uniquely shaped headlights. Some reviews have described the design of the new lights as a modernized “Nike swish.” But it’s a more a modern version of the Lexus logo presented at a different angle.
There’s a lot of new in the interior, too. The 2015 NX’s cabin features several Lexus debuts: A Lexus-first Wireless Charging Tray for compatible phones and devices; the new Lexus Remote Touch Interface (RTI) with a touch pad; and a comprehensive Multi-information Display that features a Lexus-first G-Force meter and boost gauge.
The F SPORT badge has an aggressive grille and front lower bumper. Special wheels, black exterior mirrors and exclusive interior trim and front sport seats completed package.
The 2015 Lexus NX will debut with two powertrain choices, each with front-wheel drive or all-weather drive: a 2.0-liter, 235-horsepower turbo gasoline engine, the brand’s first turbo gasoline engine, is matched to a new six-speed automatic transmission.
In the NX 300h hybrid, a 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle gasoline engine has a new automatic transmission with a unique kick-down feature.
The 2.0-liter turbocharged port and direct-injection engine uses an advanced valve control system to switch between Atkinson cycle and Otto cycle operation to optimize performance and fuel efficiency.
A new sequential six-speed automatic transmission networks with the turbo engine to achieve an ideal level of boost pressure for performance and fuel economy. Torque-demand control logic calculates required engine torque and maximizes it, delivering quick response and exhilarating acceleration feel with good fuel efficiency.
Drivers can optimize fuel economy using Eco or Normal modes in Drive Mode Select, or use Shiftmatic in Sport mode to better enjoy a winding road.
Like any Lexus, driving the new Lexus defines steady performance, comfort and convenience. In some manufacturers, some styles feel comfortable and don’t require a learning curve. Every Lexus I’ve driven feels like “home” from the first drive.
It’s a high-tech car, and during my hour’s test drive and another hour as a passenger, I kept thinking the new Lexus model would be ideal for long journeys.
Like other Lexus Hybrids, the NX 300h is quiet. It uses the electric motor exclusively when reversing. A continuous sound emitted from the vehicle proximity notification speaker mounted near the front bumper alerts pedestrians and cyclists of the approaching vehicle.
A sharply raked tailgate and integrated spoiler are punctuated by Lexus’ signature L-shape light clusters featuring seamless LED (light emitting diode) lighting, while the tailgate detailing echoes the spindle grille design.
The 2015 Lexus NX makes extensive use of low energy consumption LEDs for front and rear lights. Two types of LED headlights are available. The NX 200t uses LEDs for the low beams and halogen bulbs for the high beams.
Available for NX 200t and standard for NX 300h, the same LED light source provides the high beam and the low beam, yielding uniform light distribution with no chromatic variation. A two-color (black and clear) molding method gives the thick-walled lens a crystal glass appearance even when not illuminated.
The high-grade daytime running lamps (DRLs) create the distinctive L-shape light, and the LED turn signals illuminate sequentially. Adaptive LED fog lights are available for NX 200t and standard for NX 300h. When the turn signals are used, two of the fog light bulbs illuminate automatically to enhance illumination in the turn.
For the LED taillights, thick-wall molding technology gives the outer lens the impression of crystal glass. Reflectors provide side illumination, sourced from the rear-facing LEDs, without the need for additional LEDs.
The cabin design combines structural elements with luxurious yet functional materials and textures. The center console is the focal point, framed by bold silver-colored architectural elements and featuring kneepads on both sides. Leather-wrapped metal over high contrast metallic colors provides visual depth. The NX dashboard and console continue the Lexus concept of display and operational zones.
Lexus NX models have eight SRS airbags, including a dual stage driver’s airbag and knee airbag, dual-stage and dual-chamber front passenger airbag, front side airbags and full-length side curtain airbags, and offer the available Lexus Pre-Collision Safety System (PCS).
Available Lane Departure Alert warns the driver when it determines the vehicle is about to veer from a traffic lane. A camera mounted to the windshield recognizes lane markings. It sounds a warning and provides a visual representation on the Multi-Information Display screen if the vehicle is veering from its lane. The system works in rain and on roads where the lane is marked on one side only.
Intelligent High-beam uses the same windshield-mounted camera. When the driver turns the high beam on, it will switch to low beam to help prevent blinding other drivers and restore high beam when there are no vehicles ahead are detected. The system can also dim the high beams when it detects bright streetlights. When conditions permit, the high beams will automatically resume.
Pre Collision System (PCS) uses the all-speed Adaptive Cruise Control system’s millimeter- wavelength radar sensor to detect vehicles and other obstacles. A buzzer and a light help warn the driver of impending collision. The system can increase the driver’s braking effort, and activate Pre-Collision Brake if the driver doesn’t apply the brake. The system can also bring the NX to a full stop. Pre-Collision Brake deceleration works from a maximum speed of 37 mph.
The NX 200t F SPORT also features Active Sound Control (ASC) to enhance the auditory experience. The engine note volume resonating through the cabin can be adjusted when then the driver turns on ASC.
The MSPR for NX lineup has not been announced.

2015 LEXUS NX 200t / 300h
Price (est.): $42,000 to $55,000
Engine: 2.0-L i4 turbo, 2.5-L hybrid
Power/Torque: 235 hp/258 lb.-ft, 194/152
Fuel Consumption: n/a
Competition: Audi Q5, BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz GL, Lincoln MKC
What’s Best: Smooth ride, refined cabin, responsive turbo engine.
What’s Worst: Boring CVT with hybrid, expensive, hybrid only available fully loaded
What’s Interesting: First turbo engine ever for Lexus.

All-new luxury SUV with new turbo engine aimed at a tough market

WHISTLER, B.C.—Fact No. 1: The luxury compact SUV is the fastest-growing auto segment in the world. Since 2008, its market share has grown by 250 per cent in Canada and 600 per cent in the U.S.
Fact No. 2: Lexus has never made a compact SUV and, in Canada, its mid-size RX SUV counts for roughly 40 per cent of the brand’s sales.
So it doesn’t take an industry whiz to put 1 and 2 together to create a need for an all-new Lexus vehicle. And what they came up with is: the Lexus NX.
In such a competitive market, the NX will really need to stand out to be noticed — and it certainly does that.
The NX is built loosely on the RAV-4 chassis provided by parent company Toyota, but with its angular wedges over the fenders, sharp creases and huge grille at the front, there’s little doubt this is a new vehicle.
It’s very polarizing — you either love the look or you hate it.
Of course, once inside, that design is quickly replaced by combinations of hard and soft leather, high-visibility instrumentation and more subtle flow lines around the cabin, depending on which version you’re driving.
There are two, quite different powerplants. The 200t has an all-new 2.0-L turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which is a Very Big Deal because Lexus has never had a turbo engine before.
The fact the engine is all-new is a sign of just how important this vehicle is to the Japanese luxury brand — engines are exceptionally expensive to develop and most just morph from one version to the next. This is new from the oil pan up.
With such a clean sheet of design paper, Lexus could have created any combination of power and torque, matched to fuel consumption, and its engineers settled on a very respectable 235 hp and 258 lb.-ft.
There’s a hybrid edition, too, the 300h, which has a 2.5-L engine matched to a hybrid battery that’s based on the mid-sized ES300h sedan. It has a different state of tune for better fuel economy and makes 194 hp with 152 lb.-ft. of torque.
There are no prices yet, although it’s safe to say the NX will start somewhere in the low $40,000s and rise up to about $55,000 if you want all the bling.
There are no official fuel consumption claims yet, either. But the NX200t I drove showed an average fuel consumption of 11.7 L/100 km over the car’s short, 1,500-km lifetime, and that’s using recommended premium fuel.
The 300h hybrid showed an average consumption of 8.0 L/100 km over the 150 km I drove it, and that’s with cheaper regular fuel.
It was a pretty route: down from Whistler to North Vancouver in the hybrid, then back up the sound in the sporty edition and past Whistler on the tight curves to Pemberton before returning home.
Oh yes; there’s a sporty edition. The hybrid will only come in one fully loaded version, but the regular NX will have six different available packages, including two F-Sport versions. All Canadian models will have all-wheel-drive.
The various regular packages add things such as a powered moonroof, navigation, blind-spot detection and up to 10 speakers, while the F-Sport packages include lots of nifty badging, a tuned suspension and paddle-shifters for the six gears. The top-end F-Sport even has adaptive front suspension.
Lexus seemed proud that the top of each line included wireless charger trays for your phone in the centre console. This sounds like a useful thing, except I needed to put my iPhone in a special $20 case to charge, and my colleague’s Samsung Galaxy Note didn’t fit in the tray. Frankly, it’s easier to just leave a USB cable in there and plug in your phone when you’re driving.
But this stuff is just the icing on the cake. Frankly, most luxury cars offer the same features these days and they’ve all been around long enough to work well.
What’s the NX like to drive?
On the Sea-to-Sky Highway, and at the hilly junctions of North Vancouver, it was certainly very comfortable, as you’d expect from a Lexus.
I don’t really remember much about the hybrid, though, and it’s a good job I took notes to jog my memory. “Reasonable power” I wrote, and “iPhone needs sleeve,” and “CVT zzzzzz.”
That last mention is because the hybrid comes with a fuel-conscious Continuously Variable Transmission, which is pretty much required now for such cars. It’s okay. It’s not exciting at all, but it’s not supposed to be. It gets you to lunch, anyway.
But after lunch, I didn’t make any notes at all in the F-Sport Edition. That’s because I remember it too well. I flicked up and down through the six paddle-shifted gears in Sport mode, surged past slowpokes and set up the racing line well above the 20 km/h recommended speed of the tightest corners.
The director of Lexus Canada was in the back seat throughout this. He’s fairly tall but had a hand’s-width left of headroom and plenty of leg room. He did an excellent job of not complaining and seemed very proud of his new car.
“There’s no doubt this is an important vehicle for us, and we’ve done everything we can to make it the best it can be right out of the gate,” he said, or something like that. Then, after an especially swift left-right-left: “Don’t mind me. I’m holding on okay back here.”
The handling was remarkably neutral, which was impressive since this was not the top-end F-Sport with the active front suspension. We barged over a set of bumpy railway tracks on a curve and I let go of the wheel to see how the NX would react, but it stayed straight and true and unshaken, almost like the director in the back seat.
Perhaps that’s the NX’s greatest strength. Throw it down a Canadian road and it will forgive all your transgressions and get you home with little fuss. All that and there’s room in the back for plenty of luggage and passengers — even important passengers who appreciate their comfort.
It’s a tough market though, fighting for sales against the Germans and now Lincoln, too. We got back to the hotel, parked the SUV and took a last look at its sharp creases and forceful headlights.
You might love it or you might hate it, but I’m sure the new NX will do just fine.

The 200t pleases with power-on-tap and no turbo lag, while the more potent F Sport allows you to tap into your inner racer by boosting the engine/exhaust melodies. Both come in front-drive or all-wheel-drive versions, with a new six-speed automatic transmission. All models are set up to smooth corners, bumps and dips on the road and all feature super-smart and driverless safety features that aid in handling unpredictable situations.

2015 Lexus NX – Love it or hate it, Lexus joins the compact game

Mark Richardson

By Mark Richardson
Posted on July 15th, 2014
0
Comments
2015 LEXUS NX 200t / 300h
Price (est.): $42,000 to $55,000
Engine: 2.0-L i4 turbo, 2.5-L hybrid
Power/Torque: 235 hp/258 lb.-ft, 194/152
Fuel Consumption: n/a
Competition: Audi Q5, BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz GL, Lincoln MKC
What’s Best: Smooth ride, refined cabin, responsive turbo engine.
What’s Worst: Boring CVT with hybrid, expensive, hybrid only available fully loaded
What’s Interesting: First turbo engine ever for Lexus.
All-new luxury SUV with new turbo engine aimed at a tough market
WHISTLER, B.C.—Fact No. 1: The luxury compact SUV is the fastest-growing auto segment in the world. Since 2008, its market share has grown by 250 per cent in Canada and 600 per cent in the U.S.
Fact No. 2: Lexus has never made a compact SUV and, in Canada, its mid-size RX SUV counts for roughly 40 per cent of the brand’s sales.
So it doesn’t take an industry whiz to put 1 and 2 together to create a need for an all-new Lexus vehicle. And what they came up with is: the Lexus NX.
In such a competitive market, the NX will really need to stand out to be noticed — and it certainly does that.
The NX is built loosely on the RAV-4 chassis provided by parent company Toyota, but with its angular wedges over the fenders, sharp creases and huge grille at the front, there’s little doubt this is a new vehicle.
It’s very polarizing — you either love the look or you hate it.
Of course, once inside, that design is quickly replaced by combinations of hard and soft leather, high-visibility instrumentation and more subtle flow lines around the cabin, depending on which version you’re driving.
There are two, quite different powerplants. The 200t has an all-new 2.0-L turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which is a Very Big Deal because Lexus has never had a turbo engine before.
The fact the engine is all-new is a sign of just how important this vehicle is to the Japanese luxury brand — engines are exceptionally expensive to develop and most just morph from one version to the next. This is new from the oil pan up.
With such a clean sheet of design paper, Lexus could have created any combination of power and torque, matched to fuel consumption, and its engineers settled on a very respectable 235 hp and 258 lb.-ft.
There’s a hybrid edition, too, the 300h, which has a 2.5-L engine matched to a hybrid battery that’s based on the mid-sized ES300h sedan. It has a different state of tune for better fuel economy and makes 194 hp with 152 lb.-ft. of torque.
There are no prices yet, although it’s safe to say the NX will start somewhere in the low $40,000s and rise up to about $55,000 if you want all the bling.
There are no official fuel consumption claims yet, either. But the NX200t I drove showed an average fuel consumption of 11.7 L/100 km over the car’s short, 1,500-km lifetime, and that’s using recommended premium fuel.
The 300h hybrid showed an average consumption of 8.0 L/100 km over the 150 km I drove it, and that’s with cheaper regular fuel.
It was a pretty route: down from Whistler to North Vancouver in the hybrid, then back up the sound in the sporty edition and past Whistler on the tight curves to Pemberton before returning home.
Oh yes; there’s a sporty edition. The hybrid will only come in one fully loaded version, but the regular NX will have six different available packages, including two F-Sport versions. All Canadian models will have all-wheel-drive.
The various regular packages add things such as a powered moonroof, navigation, blind-spot detection and up to 10 speakers, while the F-Sport packages include lots of nifty badging, a tuned suspension and paddle-shifters for the six gears. The top-end F-Sport even has adaptive front suspension.
Lexus seemed proud that the top of each line included wireless charger trays for your phone in the centre console. This sounds like a useful thing, except I needed to put my iPhone in a special $20 case to charge, and my colleague’s Samsung Galaxy Note didn’t fit in the tray. Frankly, it’s easier to just leave a USB cable in there and plug in your phone when you’re driving.
But this stuff is just the icing on the cake. Frankly, most luxury cars offer the same features these days and they’ve all been around long enough to work well.
What’s the NX like to drive?
On the Sea-to-Sky Highway, and at the hilly junctions of North Vancouver, it was certainly very comfortable, as you’d expect from a Lexus.
I don’t really remember much about the hybrid, though, and it’s a good job I took notes to jog my memory. “Reasonable power” I wrote, and “iPhone needs sleeve,” and “CVT zzzzzz.”
That last mention is because the hybrid comes with a fuel-conscious Continuously Variable Transmission, which is pretty much required now for such cars. It’s okay. It’s not exciting at all, but it’s not supposed to be. It gets you to lunch, anyway.
But after lunch, I didn’t make any notes at all in the F-Sport Edition. That’s because I remember it too well. I flicked up and down through the six paddle-shifted gears in Sport mode, surged past slowpokes and set up the racing line well above the 20 km/h recommended speed of the tightest corners.
The director of Lexus Canada was in the back seat throughout this. He’s fairly tall but had a hand’s-width left of headroom and plenty of leg room. He did an excellent job of not complaining and seemed very proud of his new car.
“There’s no doubt this is an important vehicle for us, and we’ve done everything we can to make it the best it can be right out of the gate,” he said, or something like that. Then, after an especially swift left-right-left: “Don’t mind me. I’m holding on okay back here.”
The handling was remarkably neutral, which was impressive since this was not the top-end F-Sport with the active front suspension. We barged over a set of bumpy railway tracks on a curve and I let go of the wheel to see how the NX would react, but it stayed straight and true and unshaken, almost like the director in the back seat.
Perhaps that’s the NX’s greatest strength. Throw it down a Canadian road and it will forgive all your transgressions and get you home with little fuss. All that and there’s room in the back for plenty of luggage and passengers — even important passengers who appreciate their comfort.
It’s a tough market though, fighting for sales against the Germans and now Lincoln, too. We got back to the hotel, parked the SUV and took a last look at its sharp creases and forceful headlights.
You might love it or you might hate it, but I’m sure the new NX will do just fine.